Nightmare, Nightmare, Go Away
by ForeverASkittle
Summary: Zolo's been handeling his emotions for years, untill he finally snaps and a certain blonde haired shipmate helps him out.  Rated T for minor cussing.


Authors Note: This is my first published piece on this website, and first finished one shot for that matter.

I do not own one piece or its characters.

Please enjoy :) R&R much appreciated.

* * *

><p>"No... no... this isn't happening... she can't be... Kuina!"<p>

Zolo jumped up in bed, a cold layer of sweat covering his torso. He hadn't had this nightmare in years, why have it now?

It was always the same. He was a kid again, watching every fight they had, every swish of a blade, the determination in her eyes. The moon in the background with the stars twinkling innocently above. She would tell him how badly she'd wished she were a boy, just so people couldn't judge whether she could be a swordsman or not. The moon reflected in the blades of that one fateful fight... and the promise between the two sword fighters had been made. Vowing that one day, one of them would be the worlds greatest swordsman.

Then he would see her falling - falling down the stairs, watch her life end, be taken away by a mere accident. Later, the funeral was always the same; a simple arangement held to mourn her and bury the body she once lived in.

But the catch was always that she would speak. From within that horrid coffin, a place which she did not belong so soon. She would call out to Zolo, sometimes reach for him with broken bones outstreached, a bruised face, the palest white skin, a zombie in Kuina's form... Her eyes were cold and empty.

This was not how he remembered her, nor how he wanted to remember her. Never at such a weak point. Never without that determination behind her eyes and her techniques. But now he only saw an empty shell fighting in her place, a soulless creature.

He never knew the cause of these gut wrenching nightmares - it's not like she had been brutally killed or injured enough to where she would look like that - but had only found one way to temporarily forget it.

The green haired man hauled himself out of bed and through the door of the men's quarters to the kitchen. He looked in the topmost cupord, his ideal place to hide his booze for nights like this. Nothing special about where he hid it, and not like he needed to, but it gave him space. Still, he decided to walk up to the crows nest to drink to his hearts content...

* * *

><p>'What is that damn marimo up to this late at night?' Sanji wondered as the door closed behind the other man. Zolo's random outburst had awakened only Sanji, as the others lay snoring or half hanging off of their beds. He figured he might as well follow the man.<p>

Zolo was already up in the crows nest by the time the blonde had found where he went to.

Sanji took his time to catch up with Zolo, trying to hear what he was up to. At first there was silence, then he heard so much banging and crashing that he was surprised if the rest of the crew hadn't woken up - well, besides Luffy. Their captain could sleep through anything. Sanji ran as fast as his long legs would carry him.

* * *

><p>'Damn it! Why did you leave Kuina? Maybe i wouldn't have to keep this promise for the both of us! You could be on your own adventure, we could still be having all those fights we used to, to see who was better...'<p>

Zolo couldn't keep himself from the destruction he was causing. His body wasn't his anymore. He was half drunk, and ready to fall over, maybe overboard. Instead, he colapsed to his knees, dropping the sword he'd been holding, trying to keep the sobs back.

Could anyone heal him?

* * *

><p>Sanji burst into the room, not believing what he saw. Weights had been thrown around, or broken. Benches turned over and sliced. But he barely took most of this in after he saw the green haired man, kneeling in the middle of the room with his face turned down and his most precious sword - Kuina's sword - unsheethed in the floor before him.<p>

"What the hell are you doing, damn marimo?" Was all Sanji could really say.

Zolo just looked up at him, and Sanji saw just how bad things were. The man that Sanji had known to be tough as nails, had been crying. His eyes were red and puffy, which was all that really gave it away in the dim lighting.

"Zolo... What-?"

"Nightmare... Kuina... Where Kuina?"

Sanji didn't know how to respond to this. Didn't he know she had died? When they were little... A long time ago. Then he noticed the vacant expression in the man's eyes.

"Zolo, you're drunk."

"No... noreallyyy..." His words slurred this time. "Where Kuina?" He asked again.

"She... She's gone, Zolo. You remember?" Sanji hated seeing his nakama like this. No... He had more feelings for him than that. He couldn't deny that. All he wanted to do in this moment was to wipe away all of Zolo's pain. Give him someone else to love, in a different way. But he didn't think Zolo would see him like... that. Nothing more than a crewmate.

Still, he had to try and help him.

* * *

><p>The curly-browed man suddenly appeared in the room when Zolo looked up, not realizing he'd already started crying.<p>

'Dartbrow... maybe he can help.' He thought.

He failed an attempt at an explination, the still working part of his brain stumbling through a haze to get the right words out, but all he heard himself say were the words, "Nightmare" and "Kuina". He just cut to the chase.

"Where Kuina?"

"Zolo, you're drunk." Zolo wasn't sure if the blonde sounded impatient or worried.

Worried?...

"No, not really." He tried to reply, but it came out slurred. He repeated his question, hoping for an answer this time.

"She... She's gone, Zolo. Remember?" The damn curly-brow almost sounded sorry. But yes, he remembered. He didn't want to remember. That's why he'd been drinking in the first place. Thats why he came here to be alone, why he smashed everything, just to relieve that stress and pain. But it still hadn't gone.

Maybe he needed someone else to take it away. He knew he did. And he knew who he wanted it to be, too, yet he knew it would never happen, which only made his pain worse. He began to sob once again.

* * *

><p>Zolo sat in silence as Sanji watched his chest heaving. His own heart was pounding within his ribcage. What should he do? The silence got thicker as the blonde debated on what move he should make next. It didn't take too long. Zolo kind of made the decition for him. As soon as Sanji heard the sobs, he closed the distance between them in a few short strides and threw his strong arms around the others broad shoulders. This caught the man off gaurd, and Sanji felt him stiffin for a few seconds. He was scared the marimo would push him away, maybe slice him to pieces. But soon his shoulders slumped back into his earlier position and put his hands on Sanji's sides, clutching the fabric of his shirt for some sort of support.<p>

They sat like that for what seemed like hours. Sanji didn't mind. He sit throught the smell of alcohol and the chill of the night, clutching Zolo to his chest. There was so much he wanted to say to him, but had no idea how to speak any of it. He hoped Zolo could get it without all the words...

Finally, Zolo let go of Sanji and leaned back onto his heals, looking at the curly-browed blonde who'd remarkably been here to comfort him.

"Tired yet, marimo?" He asked.

Zolo just replied by standing and swaying into him. He wasn't as drunk as he had been now - he could think a little clearer - yet Sanji still had to stand him upright and put an arm around his waist, putting Zolo's right arm over his shoulders.

"Want to sleep with me tonight? Maybe i can keep those nightmares of yours away." Sanji asked when they gotten back into their quarters.

"Heh, don't you know how to make a guy feel better..." Zolo replied sarcatically, but didn't refuse.

Sanji smirked and layed Zolo down into the bed first, aranging the blanket so they could both use it. He climbed in after him, Zolo leaning his head onto Sanji's chest.

"Thanks, dartbrow." Zolo grumbled before completely passing out, snores confirming that he had. He had wanted to say so much more, but decided maybe it could wait till morning. He was too tired to speak, or even keep his eyes open any longer, and hoped that Sanji could hear the unspoken words. He had finally found someone to take away the pain he'd hidden, buried so long ago.

"Don't mention it, marimo." Sanji turned to kiss his new lovers forhead befor joining him in dream-filled sleep, kicking and fighting away any threatening nightmares that may have decided to sneak up on them.


End file.
